The present invention relates to a moisture control system for a computer system and a computer system. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for moisture control for a computer system.
Data centers comprise several computer systems. The computer systems require a constant air supply in view of the temperature and the relative humidity. Usually air conditioning systems are used in order to provide a constant air temperature. However, the relative humidity increases by decreasing the temperature of the air. In areas with high temperatures and a high humidity, this may increase the risk of condensation in the computer system or in the data center if the temperature falls under the dew point of the air.
Therefore, moisture control systems are used in order to avoid high humidity in the computer systems or in the data center. Moisture control systems are adapted to control the humidity and dry the air in the data center or the computer system so that condensation is avoided in the data center or the computer system. Furthermore, the moisture control system can be provided with additional filter systems in order to prevent a dust contamination of the computer system.
Usually, a central air handler is provided for a data center or a computer system which supplies all areas of the data center with air having the same temperature and the same humidity. The temperature and the humidity have to be adjusted for the most sensitive IT-hardware in the data center or the computer system even if the function of other components is ensured at higher temperatures or higher humidity levels. This leads to increasing costs for the air supply of data centers or computer systems.
In order to reduce the costs for the air supply, in-row-coolers are used. In-row coolers are arranged in the rows of the racks of a data center and between the racks. The in-row-coolers take warm air from a first side of the rows, for example the back side of the rows, and supply cooled air at a second side of the rows, for example the front side. The cooled air flows to the air inlet side of the computer systems and cools the computer components in the computer systems. The in-row-coolers take the warm air flowing out of the computer system so that a recirculated air operation for this row or a defined section of the data center is established. Further, it is common practice to use hot/cold aisle containments, by which the aisles containing warm or cold air are physically separated from one another to avoid mixing of cold and hot air. The air exchange between the circulated air of this section and other sections of the data center is very low so that an individual adjustment of the temperature and the relative humidity for a defined section of the data center is possible.
The in-row coolers can also provide dehumidification of the air to ensure correct operation of the computer systems. The temperature of the air is lowered below the dew-point so that the humidity is removed as condensate in the in-row coolers. The condensed water has to be collected and disposed. Furthermore, a low temperature of the in-row coolers is required to achieve the condensation process, which may lead to increasing costs of operation.